‘LEGO Battles’ announced for Nintendo DS

The LEGO video games empire is going back to its roots, putting down the lightsabers, bullwhips and Batarangs for a bit in favor of swords, sails and space shuttles.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games are teaming up with The LEGO Group to deliver LEGO Battles for Nintendo DS, a video game based on classic play scenarios in themes that include LEGO Castle, LEGO Pirates and LEGO Space. The game is scheduled to be available in the United Kingdom this summer. A North American release date has not been announced.

LEGO Battles offers a new kind of “build and battle” LEGO gameplay. Through six distinct storylines, players build their own LEGO bases and battle teams as they engage in over 70 different levels, mixing and matching units to create the ultimate customized LEGO squad. These unique LEGO battles teams see pirate swordsmen fighting side-by-side with wizards and aliens; dragons battling ninjas; and pirate ships launching broadsides against spacecraft and knights! Players can also challenge friends on the battlefield in multiplayer mode through wireless DS multi-card play.

“LEGO Battles offers players the action-packed and humor-filled gameplay that make LEGO games great, along with the added bonus of linked multiplayer battles on DS,” said Tom Stone, managing director of TT Games Publishing in the press release. “We are excited to introduce a new LEGO video game experience to fans and young gamers and look forward to expanding upon the beloved toy lines.”